Manitoba Establishes 88th Provincial Park

Manitoba has established an 88th provincial park while also preserving an ecological reserve.

Chitek Lake Provincial Park is located about 350 km northwest of Winnipeg along the shore of Lake Winnipegosis. It’s the 12th largest park in the province, covering about 1,000 square kilometres.

The province has also permanently protected the Walter Cook Caves Park Reserve as an ecological reserve.

“Manitoba is home to a number of rare and ecologically sensitive areas that must be protected,” said Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh. “Manitoba’s only herd of free-ranging wood bison roam through the area that includes Chitek Lake Provincial Park, while the Walter Cook Caves contain a variety of unique rock formations and are home to little brown bats.

Mackintosh added it’s the only known place where elk, moose, white-tailed deer, woodland caribou and wood bison share the same habitat.

While the park has the new classification, it will also be open to licensed hunting, fishing and trapping.